Frigid
by The Mome Raths Outgrabe
Summary: A younger Loki meets Jack.


**Disclaimer: I don't own Avengers or Rise of the Guardians.**

**A/N: Okay fair warning I saw Rise of the Guardians for the first time last night so my grasp of the facts of this movie and the characterization of Jack might be off. But this popped into my mind so hopefully you'll like it.**

* * *

Loki looked around breathing heavily as he knew that he was in big trouble. He had just tumbled through a portal of his own creation, and landed in the middle what appeared to be a forest. He wasn't supposed to practice magic of this sort. It was too advanced for him, but he had thought that he had known better. What was worst was that he appeared to have used all his magic to open the portal and didn't seem to have any left.

Loki tried to use his magic to start a fire, but it quickly fizzled out. Fire had never been his strongest form of magic in the first place. Loki patted his clothes for a weapon, but came up empty as he hadn't not been expecting a fight. If he made it home- when he made it home- he corrected himself, he would take his brothers suggestion of always wearing a weapon to heart. So he was alone in a foreign realm without a weapon, or even magic. Thankfully, even though his arms were only covered to about his elbows, he had always been resistant to the cold. That would be beneficial since there was a blanket of snow on the floor of the forest. However, the clouds above did appear to be threatening to bring more of it.

Loki started walking, hoping to find some sort of shelter before the snow started. He knew that just because thus far he had never gotten cold, didn't mean that he would never get cold. He had made it about a half a mile before the snow started falling. Loki huffed in irritation since before the snow had starting to fall, he wasn't clear about where he had been trying to head, but with the snow it was even more difficult to tell.

Laughter filled the air. Loki frowned as he wasn't quite sure where the laughter was coming from. He searched for the voice, but with the snow it was quite difficult to tell where it was coming from. That was until there was suddenly a boy beside him. Loki backed up as he hadn't heard him and it been some time since someone had snuck up him. The boy was grinning, he had white hair and a stick in his hand.

"What are you doing here?" the boy asked him. "It's a bit far north to be wearing so little," the boy said gesturing to Loki's thin clothing. The older boy was grinning though and Loki wasn't sure what to say. He wasn't even sure what realm he was in, not Jotunheim, this boy wasn't a frost giant.

"I'm fine," Loki said trying to draw his rather short stature up to look taller and more intimidating, like Thor. He wished that Thor was there at the moment. The older boy blinked and then stared at him for a long moment.

"Wait, can you see me?" The boy asked with a wide smile, Loki blinked at that strange statement.

"Of course, why would I not be able to?" he asked warily. Did he fall among mad people? It would be just his luck to fall among mad people. He raised his arms and put them into loose fists. The boy was older than him, he wasn't heavily muscled but he was older, taller and he possessed a staff.

"Hey, there's no need for that," the older boy said noticing his tense stance, but he was still grinning widely. "I'm just glad to have someone to talk to."

"Why?" Loki asked not lowering his arms, even if they wouldn't be as significant of a defensive as his brothers would have been. Hopefully, they would not be completely ineffective if came down to it.

"It's been a long time since I've talked to anyone," the older boy said. Loki nodded and lowered his fists slightly. He understood loneliness. He was a prince and with Thor always around one would think that Loki could never be lonely. But he and his brother were so different, Loki often felt like he couldn't talk to his brother about anything. Their friends were more like Thor than they were like him.

"What are you doing so far away from anywhere?"

"What are you doing so far?" Loki countered, not wanting to admit that he had no idea where he was. Eventually, his magic would recharge and even if he couldn't get back home, he would be able to send a signal that his family could see. Right now, his resistance to the cold was holding up, and until he started to get cold he wasn't willing to admit to a weakness.

"I am Jack Frost," the boy said like he was supposed to know who that was. Although it did sound a little familiar, it was not familiar enough to stir anything up.

"I am Loki Odinson," he said back. To his surprise, the older boy didn't stare at him like people normally did when they usually heard his family name. Like they were measuring him either against his brother or father and found him wanting. Loki slowly smiled as well, happy to find someone who wasn't comparing him to his family. Especially someone who looked so happy to see him, yet didn't seem to recognize him for what he was suppose to be. Loki was so lost in his thoughts he didn't notice something moving until that something hit his chest. Loki looked down in time to see a snowball bounce off his chest. He looked up at the older boy with the strange white hair for a moment confused, but a smile slowly split his face. This boy had no idea how good he was at this. In fact, their friends had long ago conceded defeat to him in this area. He wasn't the strongest and he couldn't make the largest snowballs. He could, however, throw them quicker, evade them easier and even when they hit they didn't seem to affect him nearly as much as it did with the others. He was able to stay in the snow longer and as such had figured out to make snowballs quicker and more effectively than the others.

"I'm not sure you want to play this game," he warned the new boy-Jack he reminded himself- who responded by chucking another snowball at him even quicker than the first. Loki easily evaded the snowball this time and the older boy gave him a slightly surprised and appraising look. This time Loki noticed that the snowball was thrown at him without the boy stooping down to the ground to gather the snow. Loki grinned, this indeed would be a very interesting game.

* * *

Loki was breathless and as such didn't get up immediately from the ground where he had fallen down. Jack reached his hand out to him to help him up, but Loki waved it off, he just needed a moment to catch his breath. Jack was surprisingly fast and used ice trails to make himself faster. When Loki started using them to catch up he knew that he had surprised Jack. He had never had the balance problems that others tended to have on ice. It was like his body knew exactly how to move on it, like it would on other surfaces. After a moment, he pulled himself up to his feet and started after Jack again. He wished that he could use his magic as Jack seemed to be using his, although he didn't quite use that word, to make it a fairer match. He was waiting though for his magic to recharge enough so that he could use it to send himself home. Still, he was more of a worthy match than anyone else, and it was probably also thanks their activity that Loki had still yet to feel the cold, which was much appreciated. Loki was about to duck behind a tree to avoid a snowball when he saw it. A purple swirling not far off, it was the same color as the portal that had sent him here. Loki started off for it then stopped, he turned to face Jack who was staring at the portal curiously.

"I have to go, that is probably my mother," Loki admitted. "She is probably angry, I wasn't supposed to come here," he said and started towards the portal again. He was by the portal in a few minutes and saw out of the corner of his eyes that Jack had apparently came with him towards the portal.

"Will you ever come back?" Jack asked him and he could hear wistfulness in his tone. Loki had had fun as well but didn't know, portals were very tricky.

"I don't know," he said honestly. "But I had fun," Loki said with a wide grin. In fact, he couldn't remember the last time he had so much fun. He couldn't wait any longer though, holding a portal open took a lot of energy, even for the most advanced users.

"I have to go." he said and ran towards the portal.

"Thanks," he heard as he hit it and felt himself fall onto the hard floor. He looked up and saw his mother and father looking at him sternly. Yes, he was going to be very much in trouble, but this time he thought that it would be worth it.

* * *

The mortal-not-mortal had been fast, faster than most of his kind and very resilient to the cold. He had been wearing strange clothes, especially for the region he was in at this time of the year. He had been very adept at avoiding answering any questions while at the same time asking several of his own. Mostly about how he was able to do what he was able to do. As Jack knew very few of the answers he was able to answer very little. Loki had been fascinated every time that Jack used his ability, yet had spoken none of his own until he just before he had gone into the portal. Loki was a very curious boy. He was so like him. While he maybe not be a mortal as Jack had first thought, he was the first being not like himself that he had been able to talk to since he had become what he was. Jack was going to miss him.

* * *

"No," Jack said. He had heard the news, but he couldn't seem to believe it. Yes, it had been hundreds of years since he had last seen Loki, last played with him. But he could not see how that boy who had been so like him, so mischievous, so fond of fun, could have turned into the person that they were talking about. "I'll prove you wrong," Jack said and then took to the air with his staff.

It didn't take Jack too long to find Loki who was walking with determination. Jack's eyes took in his old friend. They had only played for one day, but he had been the only to see him in years at that point. He looked different. He was older, his hair was longer and he was taller. But more so it was the look in his eyes that was different. They still held mischief like his younger self, but it was darker. Rather than the end result being fun, he could feel that Loki's desired end was pain and death. They reminded him of Pitch's, cold and dark. How could this have happened? He knew it had been hundred of years since they had played together, but he still couldn't see how this had happened.

"Loki stop." Jack found himself saying and saw Loki freeze for a moment in his stride and turn to look at him.

"Jack this isn't even your season," Loki said. Jack shivered at the coldness and madness in his eyes. So different then the boy who he had played with.

"Stop." he said again.

" There is no stopping this," Loki said and tried to sidestep him but Jack didn't allow it.

"You can't do this," Jack said stubbornly.

"I assure you I can," Loki said with a wild mad grin. "I would advise you not to get in my way. I won't ask again," he said pointing the scepter made of metal at him. Jack pointed his staff back as well, even though he didn't want to. Loki even though he had seen what the staff could do, just laughed in a strange way that was tinged with something sadder.

"You can't hurt me with that," he said. Jack didn't understand how the boy he had played with had turned into this man, but kept his staff pointed at the man.

"I however can hurt you with this," he said and a blue light shot out from the scepter which caught him in the arm. Pain shot through him, but he was pretty sure that this was simply a warning and not a true attack.

"Loki don't do this." he pleaded. "the boy I knew on that day would never have done this."

"We played together for one afternoon, hundreds of years ago. You know nothing about me," he said with a sharp laugh. It was true. It had been only one afternoon, but he couldn't reconcile the image of that boy with the man in front of him. Loki made to go around him again.

"Loki," he warned again, but this time used his staff to pave the road in front of him in ice. Loki didn't lose his balance on the ice and Jack remembered his resilience with ice at that moment. Jack knew that unless he was to directly hit him it would make no difference. Loki in response glared at him more venomous than before.

"I know what you are now. I would advise you to stop this or I will make sure that no one believes in you after this," he spat at him. Jack shook his head.

"I won't stand by," he swore. Loki looked at him for a short moment then nodded.

"Very well," he said and fired more directly at him. This time pain overcame him and he found himself falling to the ground. It wasn't fatal, but it was going to be awhile before he was going to be able to move without pain. Jack moved regardless so that he could look at Loki who was looking at him with an expression that he couldn't read.

"How could you be the boy I played with?" Jack asked weakly.

"Even gods grow up," Loki said and walked away.

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**Please let me know what you think good or bad**.


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